See previous post 'Focus on Shipping' for details of countermeasures.

This would be another Repeat of the several earlier warnings about al Qaeda and maritime shipping, yes?

A fear I have had for some time here in the States was that terrorists could easily attack and detonate an LP barge along the Mississippi - either in one of the many Lock systems, or near a large metro area, like St. Louis.

How hard would it be to take a suicide boat alongside one, similar to what happened to the US Cole, or even commandeer one and detonate it?

It would screw up commerce, it would be in the heartland, and against targets that are not commonly guarded or protected.

Anyone else comment?

How important are your Fears to you?

This nation is a target-rich environment. No terrorist group can or will hit them all. How probable do you feel are the chances that any specific one will be hit? On what basis will you choose to protect them all, or any group, or any specific one?

We cannot move to protect each and every plausible target out there. Were we to try to do so, we'd be employing a huge percentage of our citizens in just that effort.

It would seem that the Terrists prefer to choose targets with which they imbue large Symbolic meaning. Would a LNG barge do that? Would a barge blowing up in St Louis matter all that much to the national noozemeeja? Would it provide an opportunity to show folks in black uniforms with AWs wandering around interacting with folks for weeks on end?

Probably not.

Frankly, this nation doesn't care Nearly as much about a riverside bidniss district or neighborhood in St Louis as it does about (blessed) Wall Street. The two aren't even in the same order of magnitude of Official Concern. If you were a Terrist leader, which action would you threaten, were you to want to get maximized PR coverage for making the threat?

The barge threat, though to some degree Real, isn't significant.

Wall Street is Far more significant, whether or not it's Real.

Which do you choose to make a Big Deal out of protecting? Which maximizes the Public Perception that Something Significant is being done?

There shouldn't be any problem coming up with the correct answer.

Bad analysis. Was it the symbolizism of the WTC or the number of casualties that brought the matter such attention?

Also, simply because they selected their targets one way over two years ago what makes you think they will proceed in a straight line and hit similar targets? Don't forget they have turnover in their highest management positions also.

I'd say an LNG detonation in an urban area would get the terrorists the type of reaction they seek. I'd say casualties and publicity are what they seek. Symbolism is secondary.

But that's part of the challenge: we live in an open society and ease of movement is vital to our lives. So AQ has many potential means of wrecking havoc upon us.

What was it Condi Rice said: We have to right 100% of the time, they only have to be right once. It's a massive task.

A task not made any easier by irresponsible people like Howling Howard. The guy is just projecting. He'd look at a heightened terror alert through a political lens and therefore assumes that everyone else will too. What a reprehensible human.

What's amazing is that Dean should have been the Democrat nominee, but Kerry stole his positions and the concept of electability emerged as a major issue.

Don et al, your missing my point. I am basically a problem-solver and look for ways - subconsciously and consciously to defeat security in place - wherever it might be or whoever is involved. I have done this for whatever reasons since I was teenager and working in a bank....worried management no end back in the 1970's!

I am not afraid for myself or my family, I fear that our security aparatus is missing potential easy targets and methods - some that are so easy to accomplish that it "scares" me that many could suffer due to these lapses/misses/etc.

I have hated to even publicly voice any of my concerns, as maybe it would lead to those who wish us all hard in the USA new ways to accomplish their means....so I guess my fears do impact me in a sense but not how you refer to.

I am thinking that this warninig is more aimed at Asia. A lot of unprotected tankers moving by Malaysia and the Philippines, were Al Qaeda has franchises.

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